Cervical spine protection device

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a cervical protective device that reduces the possibility of neck injuries in contact sports. In a preferred embodiment, this device is worn in conjunction with a football helmet and football shoulder pads. Without restricting normal movement of a football player, the device contacts the lower most parts of the sides of the helmet and has a shape that is molded as to the normal anatomy of the upper back and lower cervical spine. The device contacts the lower sides of the player&#39;s neck and is held in place by the shoulder pads as normally worn by football players. Force received at the top of the helmet is applied to the protective device, absorbed by compression elements contained within the protective device and the force is directed away from the cervical spine.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to protective gear for use inconjunction with contact sports and more particularly to a cervicalspine protection device that avoids damage to the spinal column andspinal cord while allowing unrestricted movement of the head and neckduring athletic activity.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Injuries to the neck are some of the most serious injuries in contactsports. For example, hyperextension of the neck to the rear can causepermanent damage to the spinal cord and can result in paraplegia,quadriplegia and/or other forms of paralysis. If the neck is bentexcessively to one side, the nerves in the brachial plexus can bestretched to cause what is commonly known as a “pinched nerve.” Insevere cases, excessive lateral cervical flexion can cause permanent andirreparable damage to the nerves of the brachial plexus. Furthermore,undue flexing of the neck at an angle to the rear and to one side canresult in equally serious damage to the cervical spine, brachial plexusand/or adjacent areas of the neck and upper back.

The most serious of injuries occur when the head is driven down towardthe neck and shoulders producing an excessive pressure that the cervicalspine cannot handle. This pressure causes a buckling of the column andmay lead to disc herniation, muscle and ligament damage, and potentiallyspinal cord injury.

While neck injuries have been recognized as a serious problem in contactsports, very little progress has been made in developing protectiveathletic equipment that protects the athlete's neck without restrictinghis normal movement.

A number of prior art devices have been designed to reduce injuries tothe necks of players in contact sports. These devices include U.S. Pat.No. 3,189,917 to Sims, U.S. Pat. No. 3,497,872 to Mitchell, U.S. Pat.No. 4,094,015 to Howard, U.S. Pat. No. 4,338,685 to LaPorta, U.S. Pat.Nos. 4,821,339 and 4,996,720 to Fair, U.S. Pat. No. 5,404,590 to Monica,U.S. Pat. No. 5,546,601 to Abeyta, U.S. Pat. No. 6,058,517 to Hartunian,and U.S. Pat. No. 6,874,170 to Aaron.

The devices exemplified by the above-mentioned references primarilyattempt to reduce the flexion, extension, lateral bending, and rotationof the head. However, none of the devices disclosed in theabove-mentioned references is effective at preventing an axialcompression of the neck without limiting the normal movement of the headof the user, nor do these references provide the degree of supportprovided by the disclosed invention.

For example, Sim's device is elevated in the rear to contact the backportion of the helmet during the extension of the neck of the user,effectively restricting the backward movement of the head of the user.Sim's device is also tapered in the front and connected with a lace.Mitchell's device is to be worn on the top of the shoulder pads and isattached to the shoulder pads by strings that hold it in the properposition. Mitchell's device is thick and four-sided with rounded edges.As appreciated by those skilled in the art, Mitchell's device preventsthe normal movement of the player's neck. Aaron's device is attached tothe helmet and shoulder pads by fasteners that inevitably restrict thenormal movement of a player's head and neck. LaPorta's device has backand chest plates that are attached using a curved pad providing littleor no support in preventing damage to the spine. Howard discloses a neckcushion that is an integral part of the helmet. The back of the cushionis raised, inevitably restricting the movement of the user.

Fair '339 and Fair '720 disclose a protective vest having a collar guarddesigned to engage with the player's neck or helmet with no spineprotection. Hartunian discloses a foam neck brace surrounding the user'sneck with 360 degrees of cushioning. The brace is secured in place usinga strap and fasteners. The conical shape of the neck brace and the wayit surrounds the neck of the user inevitably prevents the normal motionof the user. Monica discloses a helmet motion restrictor designed toengage with the football helmet of the user in order to preventexcessive lateral and posterior movements of the football helmet againrestricting movement. Abeyta discloses a cervical spine protectiondevice designed to prevent the axial compression of the head of theuser, which unduly restricts the posterior and anterior movements of theneck of the user.

It is, therefore, an object of the cervical spine protection device ofthe present invention to reduce extreme axial loading without limitingmovement in flexion, extension, left or right lateral flexion orrotation of the skull.

It is a further object of the cervical spine protection device of thepresent invention to engage the lower most part of a helmet duringextreme axial compression so as to relieve the pressure on the spine.

It is a further object of the cervical spine protection device of thepresent invention to be worn with various types of regulation helmetsand regulation shoulder pads, so as not to interfere with the movementof the head of the user, or the normal workings of the helmet or theshoulder pads.

It is a further object of the cervical spine protection device of thepresent invention to provide a cervical spine protection device that issimple to use, lightweight and economical to construct.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cervical spine protective device of the present invention isdesigned to reduce the possibility of neck injuries in contact sports,without restricting the normal neck movement of a player. In a preferredembodiment, the device of the present invention contacts the lower mostparts of the sides of a player's helmet, and has a shape that is moldedto the normal anatomy of the upper back and lower cervical spine. Forcereceived at the top of the helmet is applied to the protective device,absorbed by compression elements contained within the protective deviceand directed away from the cervical spinal column. It is a feature ofinvention that the compression elements direct axial force away from thespine area.

These together with other objects and features of the invention arepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forminga part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the inventionand its operating advantages, reference should be had to theaccompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there isillustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of the cervical spine protection device as wornin conjunction with football helmet.

FIG. 2 is a general view of the cervical spine protection device.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the cervical spine protection device as worn bythe user.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the cervical spine protection device as worn bythe user.

FIG. 5 is a cross section of the cervical spine protection device alongline 5 of FIG. 2 showing compression elements embedded in the protectiondevice.

FIG. 6 is a general view of the compression element embedded in thecervical protection device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the Figures, FIG. 1 illustrates a front view of thecervical spine protection device 10 of the present invention as worn bya user, which for this embodiment is shown as a football player. FIGS. 3and 4 illustrate respectively a rear and side view of the device. Device10 can be constructed of various materials including plastic,polyurethane or foam. It is to be understood that device 10 can come indifferent sizes depending on the neck size of the player.

The inventive protection device 10 is designed to be worn in conjunctionwith a football helmet and football shoulder pads and as illustrated theshape is molded to accommodate the normal anatomy of the upper back andlower cervical spine.

At the back of the device 10, there is an opening 12 and similarly thereis an opening 14 at the front of the device. The purpose of theseopenings is to allow unrestricted movement of the head and neck duringathletic movement. The device 10 also includes portions 15, which reachnearly to the lower surface of helmet 11, and portions 20 which rest onthe shoulders of the user.

The focus of the invention is to absorb the force of an impact at thetop of the helmet. Most catastrophic injuries in contact sports occurwhen the head is driven down toward the neck and shoulders producingpressure too great for the cervical spine to handle. This extremepressure can cause a buckling of the spinal column and can lead to discherniation, muscle and ligament damage and severe spinal cord injury.The protective device of the present invention provides the necessarysupport in order to minimize spinal cord injury that could result fromexcessive force being applied to the top of the player's helmet, whileat the same time allowing freedom of movement for the head and neck.

More particularly, FIG. 6 illustrates compression element 13, which isinserted within device 10 as shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectionfrom the rear of device 10 illustrating how compression element 13 isinserted within device 10, while FIG. 4 is a side view of device 10illustrating how a plurality of compression elements 13 extend aroundthe periphery of device 10. FIG. 4 shows three individual compressionelements 13 on either side of device 10, but it is to be understood thata greater or lesser number can be used depending on the degree ofsupport required.

Compression element 13 as shown in FIG. 6 can be made from a stiffpolyurethane or any similar material that will provide adequate support.Upper surface 16 is designed to support the upper surface of portions 15to provide a generally wide contact area that will receive the sides ofhelmet 11 when excessive force is applied to the top of the helmet. Thewidth of this contact area on portions 15 can vary depending on the typeof helmet worn by the player, but generally would be in the approximaterange of 2 to 2½ inches wide at the widest point.

The lower surface 17 of element 13 is designed to follow the contours ofthe player's neck and is specifically shaped to direct force away fromthe cervical spinal column. This is illustrated by arrow 18 representinga downward force applied to surface 16 when excessive force is receivedat the top of helmet 11, forcing the sides of helmet 11 onto portions 15of device 10. This force is then directed from a downward direction asshown by arrow 18 to an oblique direction as shown by arrow 19.Apertures 20 shown in FIG. 6 are illustrative only and can be used, ifnecessary, to reduce the weight of compression element 13.

As set forth above, the present invention is designed to protect againstspinal cord injury when excessive force is applied to the top of aplayer's helmet, which can result in axial compression of the spine.Injury is prevented by filling the gap between the lower edge of aplayer's helmet and the lower neck and upper shoulder of the player withdevice 10. Force directed at the top of the helmet is applied to device10 at portion 15 and absorbed by compression elements 13, which directthe force away from the cervical spine. While providing excellentprotection against spinal cord injury, the disclosed invention alsoallows unrestricted movement of the head and neck during athleticactivity.

While there has been described what is considered to be a preferredembodiment of the invention, it will be understood by those skilled inthe art that various changes and modifications may be made thereinwithout departing from the invention, and therefore, it is the aim ofthe appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fallwithin the true spirit and scope of the invention.

1. A cervical protection device adapted for use with a user's headprotection device, the cervical protection device comprising, a lowerportion engaged with a user's shoulders, said lower portion having anopening at the forward facing side of the user's body; an upper portiondesigned for engagement with the user's head protection device whenaxial force is applied to a top portion of the user's head protectiondevice, said upper portion having an opening at the forward and rearwardsides of a user's body; and a plurality of compression elementscontained within said upper and lower portions of said cervicalprotection device, whereby axial force applied to a top portion of theuser's head protection device is directed away from the cervical spineof the user via said plurality of compression elements.
 2. A cervicalprotection device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said compressionelement comprises a first horizontal portion within and adjacent to theupper portion of said cervical protection device and a tapered lowerportion designed to follow the contours of the user's neck, wherebyforce applied to the first horizontal portion is directed along saidtapered lower portion away from the user's cervical spine.
 3. A cervicalprotection device in accordance with claim 2, wherein said firsthorizontal portion of said compression element ranges between 2 and 2½inches in length.
 4. A cervical protection device in accordance withclaim 1, wherein an equal number of said plurality of compressionelements are distributed along each side of said cervical protectiondevice.
 5. A cervical protection device in accordance with claim 1,wherein said cervical protection device is formed of materials selectedfrom a group consisting of plastic, polyurethane or foam.
 6. A cervicalprotection device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said compressionelement is formed from a stiff polyurethane material.
 7. A cervicalprotection device in accordance with claim 1, sufficient in size tosubstantially fill the gap between the user's head protection device andthe user's shoulders.
 8. A cervical protection device in accordance withclaim 1, wherein said rearward facing opening in the upper portion ofsaid cervical protection device is of a width substantially equal to thewidth of the user's neck.
 9. A cervical protection device in accordancewith claim 1, wherein said compression element includes a plurality ofapertures.
 10. A cervical protection device in accordance with claim 1,wherein said opening at the forward facing sides of the user's body insaid upper and lower portion of said cervical protection device issufficient in size to allow unrestricted movement of the user's head andneck.